Allardyce casts shadow over EPL action as big guns clash – Perfect record on the line in Spurs, City showdown

This news has been read 4632 times!

LONDON, Sept 30, (AFP): Premier League chiefs will hope attention returns to on-field matters this weekend after an uncomfortable few days in the spotlight for English football.

Sam Allardyce’s one-game career as England manager came to a shock end after just 67 days on Tuesday following controversial comments made to undercover reporters, which continued Thursday with Southampton assistant manager Eric Black filmed offering alleged advice on giving bribes to officials at other clubs.

Allardyce, 61, was also secretly filmed giving advice on how to circumnavigate transfer rules and mocking England predecessor Roy Hodgson.

Appointed England manager on a £3 million-a-year contract ($3.9 million), Allardyce also agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador for their fictitious firm for a fee of £400,000.

England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has been placed in caretaker charge for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but, with the Football Association still to appoint a permanent replacement, a succession of Premier League managers have found themselves being asked if they would like a shot at the England job.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, one of English football’s rising managerial stars, ruled himself out of replacing Allardyce — for the time being.

“I think I have said in many interviews that the England job is the ultimate job….It sounds arrogant but I am not interested in the (England) job now, but you never know what will happen in the future,” said Howe.

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, who played alongside Southgate for the south London club, has also been linked to the England job.

But he insisted he was happy at Selhurst Park after leading the south London club to three straight wins.

“Eddie Howe said it was the pinnacle for any Englishman’s career, I agree with that,” said Pardew ahead of Friday’s match away to Everton.

“I’m so lucky to have this football club where it is right now…This football club at this time is where I want to be.”

Veteran Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, long spoken of as a possible England manager, is out of contract with the Gunners at the end of the season.

“I’ve said many times that my priority has always been Arsenal Football Club and I have to assess how well I do until the end of the season,” said the Frenchman, looking to build on his side’s 3-0 win over Chelsea away to Burnley on Sunday.

Manchester City will look to return to winning ways at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after a midweek 3-3 draw away to Scottish giants Celtic ended their perfect record under manager Pep Guardiola.

“We’re going to recover well, to focus on White Hart Lane,” Guardiola said.

Southampton, fresh from a 3-0 win over West Ham, travel to Leicester City, with the Premier League champions beating Porto 1-0 in the Champions League following a 4-1 defeat by Manchester United.

Liverpool, who thrashed Hull 5-1 last week, are away to Swansea while bottom of the table Sunderland will seek a first league win of the season at West Brom.

United, for whom Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in a 1-0 home win over Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League on Thursday, face struggling Stoke at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Chelsea icon John Terry looks primed to be thrown straight back into action on Saturday against struggling Hull in a bid to end a run of two successive Premier League defeats.

Both losses to Liverpool and Arsenal have been since Terry damaged ankle ligaments but having returned to training this week and with England central defender Gary Cahill out of form the 35-year-old club captain is needed more than ever.

Terry, who looked to have ended his Chelsea career at the end of last season only to accept a year long contract, has quickly emerged as a central figure in Conte’s plans after the Italian missed out on his main defensive targets during the recent transfer window.

The arrival of David Luiz and Marcos Alonso on transfer deadline day at least bolstered the defensive numbers but neither player has made a significant impact since then.

Luiz’s partnership with Cahill in central defence has looked anything but convincing.

Cahill in particular was guilty of an error in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory which confirmed the scale of the task confronting Conte as he attempts to revive the club.

The England defender is likely to make way for Terry for a game that has grown in significance ahead of back to back meetings with champions Leicester and Manchester United.

Already the head coach has spoken of the difficulties of improving the confidence of a side who finished mid-table last season.

And while the focus has been trained on problems at the back, the manner of the Arsenal defeat also raised questions about other players with midfielder N’Golo Kante’s lack of form identified as a growing concern.

“When you want to win you must have a good balance when you attack and when you defend,” said Conte.

“I think this is the right way if you want to win.

“It’s important to work together in defensive situations and in offensive situations.

“We must work together. We can improve a lot and it’s important to understand this and try to work together.”

Pre-season relegation favourites Hull posted back-to-back Premier League wins at the outset of the campaign, but they have struggled since that encouraging start and are aiming to arrest a slump in form which has seen them take one point from the last 12.

They have conceded nine goals in their last two games, heavy defeats by Arsenal and Liverpool, as they go in search of a first victory against Chelsea in almost 28 years, a winless run covering the sides’ last 12 meetings.

Uncertainty over the future of caretaker manager Mike Phelan, who after almost a fortnight of deliberation is yet to accept an offer to take the role full-time, and on-going talks to sell the club have played a part in the downturn in results for the 14th-placed Tigers.

Ryan Mason is set to make his full home debut following a club record £10million move from Tottenham Hotspur last month.

“We’ve shown what we’re capable of already this season, and it’s up to us to reproduce that kind of form again,” said the 25-year-old.

“It’s another massive game on home soil, and we want to respond. Our home form is going to be important for the rest of the season, we know that.”

 

This news has been read 4632 times!